Sent the 'kids' back to college Friday. As always, it's a little bittersweet, but we were all anxious to return to our own routines. I don't know what their version ofZip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah might be, but I'm sure they were whistling it as they sped out of the driveway leaving a trail of stone dust in their wake. They didn't even look over as I stood there in my nightgown waving goodbye. Just as well because that means they missed the victory dance that followed.

This week I’ve been composing a list of “do not mention” topics for my husband as prep for the Thanksgiving dinner. The list grows longer each year and is now lengthier than Santa’s naughty and nice list. It’s amazing that despite my censorship, he still finds plenty to talk about. In regards to the Thanksgiving dinner conversation, neutrality is always the….

At this point in life, I find myself sandwiched between budding adult children beginning their life’s journey and aging parents finishing theirs – both standing on the abyss of the unknown. Don’t you wish life came with a version of What to Expect When Your Expectingfor every phase of life? As a young mom, I relied on child gurus, Louise Bates Ames and Francis Ilg, who authored a series of books addressing each of the “age” stages in childhood from one through fourteen. As a rookie, I found them extremely helpful. Now, I’m waiting for someone…..

The alarming thing about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting is the fact that the shock value no longer exists. No one can deny the horror of last weekend’s events. However, the frequency of these types of violent acts has led us to expect them. It’s no longer a question of if it will happen again but where and to whom. Therein lies the true terror…..

While listening to a children’s choir from Uganda this week, the term “out of the mouths of babes” sprang to mind. We can learn so much from children, which is precisely why Jesus commanded in the gospel of Matthew, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Who knew that the idiom, out of the mouths of babes, is derived…..

My Pilates instructor decided to ‘shake things up’ this week by introducing a new routine that involved jumping on a reformer. Not known for my coordination, it was challenging. My aging body is still screaming in rebellion. One of the moves involved jumping in reverse, which was particularly tricky as you couldn’t see…..

The Millennial Prophet is the moniker Brandon Micheal Hall assigns himself in the new drama, God Friended Me, which premiered on CBS recently to mixed reviews. For someone drawn to Hallmark movies and shows like Touched by an Angel or Highway to Heaven, choosing to view GFM wasn’t a stretch like my…..

Last Sunday our church had a commissioning ceremony for one of our pastors (David) who is in the National Guard. He’s been called up to serve in the Middle East for the next ten months. As he stood at the front of the church in his army fatigues, I thought his uniform more appropriate than the …..

Everyone struggles with something. It’s a sad fact of life. Some of our challenges are self-induced. Others are simply the product of living in a broken world where all kinds of trials await us. That’s not to say the popular mantra Life is Good is a fallacy. Paradoxically, joy and suffering are the parallel paths of life. Rarely is life all of one or the other. They coexist in every moment, which brings to mind…..

How does one go from mechanical bull riding in Nashville to a silent retreat the following weekend? “By accident.” Though quiet was a welcome respite from the rowdiness of Nashville, I had no idea I’d signed up for a ‘silent’ retreat. My previous women’s retreats involved their own sort of raucousness, as we frequently stayed up late into the night sharing experiences, laughter and suffering of all sorts. I remember one retreat where late-night Karaoke helped lighten the atmosphere. Assuming this retreat would be similar…..

Before I left for the summer, I went out for ice cream with some friends - including my little buddies, Grace and Sam. We discussed our goals for the summer. Grace was determined to learn to swim. Sam’s was to organize the Lego table. His grandfather set his sights on getting a particular person to church. Others had dietary goals. Thinking I should choose something meaningful, I decided on….

In response to the numerous horrified emails expressing sympathy and legal advice after last week’s post, “Those were not my real brows in the photo!”While the first couple of weeks did loosely resemble that picture, I’m happy to report that the final result was all I hoped it would be. Not that anyone else would notice, but it’s still a shock when I look in the mirror because I haven’t quite adjusted to my brow-enhanced reflection. Whatever personal changes we choose to make, regardless of how small…..

This summer I broke my own beauty mandate, “No Sharps!”The premise of that decree is that I would take advantage of any beauty/age defying enhancements as long as they didn’t involve sharp objects. I’ll leave any carving of my body to the surgeon whose kept me alive thus far. I used to think that the extensions he provided…..

The ocean was angry last week producing uncharacteristically large waves, drawing surfers of varying abilities. There is one in particular that amazes me. He performs headstands while he surfs. It takes patience and lots of practice to master that skill. I watched….

This week an enemy army attempted to invade the happy place I recently wrote about. I felt like I landed on Normandy Beach, only the bullets aimed at me were emotionally-laden words. They were familiar opponents I’ve battled before and came from a place of self-pity, bitterness, anger, resentment and discontent. These formidable foes require a strong defense. Often ,they attack from within, but this wasn’t one of those times. Even so, the lessons…..

Everyone has a place (or state of mind) where they feel closest to God - a place of peace and contentment. Some arrive there through prayer and meditation, others employ more tangible modes of transportation. In the summer I drive - certainly a more direct route than my feeble efforts at prayer and meditation recently. That's not to say that the four-hour…..

Thursday night I had the privilege of attending a Taylor Swift concert and was treated to VIP privileges by my host. As I will probably not have the pleasure of enjoying VIP status again until I reach Heaven where we will all be given the royal treatment, I reveled in the proximity to the stage (as well as the free food and drinks.) Witnessing Ms. Swift perform up close, her joy in her craft oozed out of every pore and saturated everyone around her. Yes, joy is contagious. It was obvious that…..

The day I met my new friend, Max, was a banner day because just a few hours later I had another God incident. As a reminder, Max is the Good Samaritan I wrote about recently who helped me move a load of heavy items into my son’s apartment. Later that afternoon I was waiting for a mattress delivery. Surprisingly, the delivery truck arrived right on time - BUT without the bedframe. Unable to return the same day with the required item, I….

Not that this is newsworthy, but the makeshift ‘Band-Aids’ on my car have been replaced with a shiny new front end – just like new. One weekend and $1500 later, you’d never know I was in a fender bender. It’s such a great example of how my husband and I approach car maintenance. I would have driven the car as it was, held together by string and bungees, for the rest of the summer without issue or at least until I…..

One of the biggest problems in this digital age is that people are so riveted to their devices that they miss the thrill of what Ken Nerburn refers to as a ‘blue moment’ in his book, Simple Graces, The Quiet Gifts of Everyday Life. I’ve had these experiences all my life but never knew there was a name for them. I always considered them ‘God incidents’ and still do. They are the occasions that you share….